5 Steps To Choosing The Perfect Window Coverings

So, you bought a brand new home and there are NO window coverings?  Now what?

Shopping for window coverings can be quite overwhelming, especially if you are starting with blank slate.   With so many options, here are a few tips on how to get started.

1.  Know your Budget  

We can’t stress enough how important it is to set a budget.  Sometimes the need vs. want can be on polar opposite ends of the budget spectrum which can result in some major sticker shock!  Some people think that window coverings will cost, on average, $100/window.  That is not unheard of but that budget will get you the very basic of blinds such as aluminum slats or a faux wood at the most.  If you are seeking something different to cover your windows, you should try to set your budget closer to $300/window and more if you are looking for roman shades, shutters or drapes.  

2.  Set your Priorities

So, you don’t want to put Aluminum Blinds all throughout the house?  Figure out which rooms need covering right away.  Do you have a large picture window that looks out onto the street or into a neighbor’s living room?  Do you have a bedroom window that lets in too much light and heat first thing in the morning?  Do you have a newborn baby or a shift-worker that needs sleep during the day?  These are all things you should know going into the process.  

3.  How you live

With all the shows on TV and pictures in Magazines, it’s a good bet that you have an idea of what you like and what you want in your home.  But, wanting a certain style of window covering doesn’t always match how you and your family live.  For example, you just love the look of sheers for your bedroom but it is a first floor bedroom that looks out onto a busy sidewalk or nosey neighbor.  Most sheers are see-through and will probably not be your best option. If you can see through your window treatment during the day, at night,when it’s dark outside and your lights are on inside, people will be able to see you!  

Or maybe you have a kitchen sink right below a beautiful window overlooking a garden and your thoughts were to put a silk roman shade there.  With any areas that are high moisture or in the “splash zone”, a silk (and many other materials) will be damaged quickly.  

Do you have small children or pets?  If so, choosing materials that are easy to clean and wipe down are best for the most popular areas that your kids and pets frequent.  A shutter, wood blind or perhaps vertical blind would be best here.  Safety is also a big thing to consider for your kids and pets.  Having a motorized or a cordless blind in areas where they play will eliminate any cords that could potentially be a choking hazard.  

Is your home older?  Older homes have so much character and there are so many different window coverings that can lend to the look of the home.  However, there can be little hurdles to overcome in these older windows.  For example, are there crank handles to open the window that might get in the way of a blind or shade’s operation?  Is the window sill deep enough to mount the necessary hardware for your blind of choice?  Is there a built in valance on the ceiling in the way which will not allow the blind to open properly?  

4.  Style

Style is such a personal thing.  So often we hear about how people want their rooms to feel as opposed to how they want them to look.  Some key works are, “fresh”, “cozy” and “clean”.  Quite often the feel that you get in the room comes down to color and not necessarily the type of blind, shade and drapery.  Darker colors typically give you a “cozy” feel because darker colors tend to absorb light (like giving you a big hug!)  and are rich in color.  Lighter colors and whites reflect light and can make rooms brighter creating a “fresh & clean” feel.   Making your room “feel” a certain way can be achieved with just about any type of blind or shade!  

5. When to call the professionals

Once you have determined your budget, the windows you need covered, and some ideas of what you would like to do… it’s time to call in a professional.  Stylit Window Designs offer FREE in home consultations and can bring the store directly to your home.  We can measure and offer advice as to what materials will work in certain spaces, what blinds will work in certain windows and keep you on budget!  We will eliminate all the guesswork and mistakes that most DIY-ers make.  

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Beat the Heat

The heat index is rising, the days are longer, the sunlight spills in the windows until 10:00pm.  Your AC and fans are cranked to maximum.  Summer is here!!   The sweltering heat and humidity is something we all love this time of year… at the BEACH!  When the heat and crazy glaring sun creeps into your home it can get downright uncomfortable.  

Did you know that your windows are responsible for 25% of your annual heating and cooling costs and up to 40% in older homes?  It’s no wonder everyone is pulling out all the stops to beat the heat! Tinfoil on the windows?  The neighbourhood loves that…  NOT!  How about the classic black sheet hung over the windows with a thumbtack to keep the light out?  All good until you pull the sheet off, the thumbtack goes flying, and you can’t find it until it’s wedged in your toe.  We’ve even heard of some people using black spray paint on their windows to keep the light out.  Um…  WHAT?  

The point is, we all have a reason to keep the summer heat and sunlight out.  Shift work, newborn baby, kids thinking that because the sun is shining it’s playtime (even though it’s 9:30 at night!).  The myth is that the world of custom window coverings is a scary place and not meant for the average home owner.  Well, we are here to tell you that is not true!  We can walk you through the steps necessary to get you what you need, without having to spend the kids’ college fund!  

Not only do custom window coverings look fantastic and add style to your room, they can block  light, keep the summer heat out (and the winter heat in!), reduce noise, create privacy, reduce UV rays from fading floors or furniture and keep the neighbours happy... and make them a bit jealous too!   

Blinds, such as 2” wood blinds or standard aluminum blinds do a decent job at blocking some light, however, whenever there are slats or louvres there will always be a spot for the light and heat to escape through.   Shades with a black-out liner or backing have a solid surface that will block more light and will create a barrier to prevent light and heat transfer.   

Shades come in many different styles, such as Roller Shades, Cellular (honeycomb) Shades and Roman Shades.  Because each shade is constructed differently and uses different types of materials and fabrics, the price points vary.  A plain vinyl roller shade, for example, would block light and heat and is a very economical solution.  Cellular shades have quite a few different options to choose from. There are many different operating mechanisms such as cordless, continuous cord, and top-down/bottom-up.  These shades come in both black-out and light filtering and both options will create an insulating barrier for heat gain and loss.  Roman shades with black-out liners are scaled somewhere on the higher end.  With various price points on the fabrics, the operating mechanisms, and the liners, Roman Shades are a beautiful investment and will always add elegance and personality to your home.

Drapery is probably the most effective option to keeping light and heat out.  When choosing drapery fabric, there are many (many, many…) options.  Simple cottons and linens can be economical choices while embroidered silks and wools are more for a healthier budget.  The key here is in the liner.  A drapery liner is a heavyweight, tightly woven fabric that is attached to the back of the drapery fabric.  It can be multilayer or interlined for extra protection.  All liners will help protect your home against UV rays that cause fading, however, there are specific liners that can be used for thermal and black-out effect.  Some liners can reduce light by 99% (which is typically what you see in hotel rooms).  Hanging drapery as close to the ceiling and floor as possible, with a minimum of 6” overlap on either side of the window, will give you maximum protection against light and heat leakage.  

If you can't decide on a shade, blind or drapery option, try going for the combo!  Blackout shades in the window with stationary drapery panels on either side will give you both the function and the fashion.  The combinations are endless!  And we guarantee none of the combinations will include thumbtacks, tinfoil or anything else that will harm you or make your neighbours cringe!

Grandma's Drapes

A comment I hear quite regularly is "I love drapes, but they remind me of my Grandma's house."  Now, before we go putting down Grandma's drapes, I usually ask people what they liked and what they didn't like about them. The most common 'like' is the feeling of comfort, warmth and 'home'.  The most common dislike is that they are 'old fashioned' looking.  Well, there is an easy way to make everyone happy!  With the HUGE selection of fabrics available, there are definitely fabrics out there for everyone.  There are also different ways to hang the drapes so they don't have that 'traditional' look.  So before you give up on drapery, see what is available and what your options are!

Christmas is here!

With Christmas getting closer, we all have a lot to do!  Here are some ideas on how to add some Holiday Season flavor to your window coverings.  Tiebacks, use some nice thick velvety Christmas ribbon to tie back your drapery.  This will add some Christmas colour and a different look to your drapes.  Do you have blinds everywhere?  Put some small bows or bells on the bottom of the cords that are hanging down.  What about those valance boards?  Lights!  Put a string of lights across the top of the valance to add that great holiday look.  Toss pillows, this one isn't as quick and easy but it is something that I did last year and can now use every year.  I had some Christmas fabric so I made some pillow coverings for the toss cushions on my couch. Once Christmas was over I just took off the covers and put them away with the rest of the decorations.  These are just a few suggestions to help with your holiday decorating! So whatever you are celebrating this season, I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday!

What to do...

Christmas is coming... ok, so we all know it is coming.  How does this time of year seem to sneak up on us so fast. Every year I think, 'I really want to enjoy the season a little more, and not get so stressed out about getting things done.'  I have to say most of the time I am unsuccessful, the shopping takes longer than it should, the weather is lousy, the to-do list seems bigger... What's the trick?  Well, here it is... count your blessings.  That's it.  Simple right.  Well, maybe not that simple but it may be a good way to help ease the stress of the season.  This is what I did this weekend to start to help ease the pressure.  I made a mental effort to count my blessings as I am running around this Christmas season.  I found a parking spot close to the mall entrance, YEAH! Instead of parking and running through the rain, I paused and appreciated that parking spot, so when I entered that crazy mall, I was feeling just a little more relaxed.  I also tested my Christmas lights, 2 of the 4 strings weren't working, YEAH I have 2 working strings!!  Ok, I know it may seem a little silly, and a times it may be hard to look for those moments, but it's worth a try right?  It is only the middle of November and I am not sure how the rest of the year is going to go but these small little moments may be what I need to really enjoy the season.  Give it a try, it can't hurt!

www.stylit.ca
chalaine@stylit.ca

Procrastinating....

Procrastinating…

You know that one thing on your to-do list that never gets done, it’s a small thing but for some reason you just never get to it.  Mine is my kitchen window, it gets splashed all the time and always looks dirty.  Well, I did it, I cleaned it last night and when I walked into my kitchen this morning I just felt better.  My mood lifted, my cup of tea tasted better.  I can’t wait to get back this afternoon and look out that window again!

Why was it so hard to clean it?  It took me 10 minutes, and I feel so much better.  I was in a workshop one time and the instructor talk about the book “Eat the frog”, have you heard of it?  It talks about 21 great ways to stop procrastinating.  Well it definitely sunk in when I heard about it and I have to say that every once in a while I have to tell myself to ‘Eat the frog.’

If anything it is a fun way to remember to deal with those things that are nagging at you!

Here's a link that talks about the book:  http://www.briantracy.com/catalog/product.aspx?pid=465

Thinking you know better....

Remember when your Mom and Dad asked you for help on the computer, you always felt good about knowing more about something than they did.  I always thought I was pretty savvy when it came to computers... I have recently had the humbling experience of realizing that I need help!  Yes, technology changes quickly and the average 10 year old can teach me a lot, yes, the tables have turned on me now.  The good thing is unlike when I was young, I can now realize my limitations and ask for help. (Although it does hurt the pride a little to ask a 10 year old).

Don't hesitate to ask for help, whether it is for something simple or more complicated. Take advantage of those who are trained or have experience.  Even though something like buying a blind seems simple, there is a little more to it and having someone to help with the details could save you a lot of time and hair pulling.

Check out the new fabrics this fall from Robert Allen - http://www.robertallendesign.com/DwellStudio.aspx